This invention relates to a label for an optical disk. Optical disks presently take many forms, and include plastic disks which contain digital data which may represent computer software, music, video, graphics and many other types of digital data. Such disks are presently made in many sizes and are referred to by different names, for example, CD's, compact disks, optical disks, DVD's, and include unrecorded disks which can be “burned” by consumers and disks which are capable of being recorded and then re-recorded. These disks are typically circular.
Optical disks are also now made and sold which have irregular shapes, and are used for many purposes including business advertising. Such disks can be formed in virtually any shape so long as they will fit into and function in a disk player. One such shape commonly made and distributed is a “business card” disk, which comprises an optical disk which has been cut down in size so that two of the opposing sides are parallel, and the other two opposing sides are convex. The principal requirement for such disks is that the data area exist as a continuous annular area symmetrically positioned around the center hole by which the optical disk is placed on the spindle of a disk player. Such disks are approximately the size of a business card, or somewhat larger.
This application relates to all types of optical disks which have a hole formed in them by which they are rotated during playback. The hole is required not only for playback of the optical disk, but during manufacture, during which large stacks of optical disks are manipulated and transported on long rods or spindles.
The existence and necessity of the hole presents a significant disadvantage in the use of optical disks as advertising and promotional products, since the hole is relatively large in relation to the overall size of the disk, particularly in the smaller format disks and those with irregular shapes. For example, with the so called “business card” optical disk, the location of the hole has heretofore required that text and graphics material be sized and arranged to fit around the hole, limiting the size of the text and graphics and thus the attractiveness and distinctiveness of the text and graphics material.
Text and graphics labels are generally applied to the optical disk by silk screening onto one side of the disk, or by applying a paper or foil label to one side of the disk. The silk screening process avoids the hole in the center of the disk, and paper labels include a hole which is aligned with the hole in the disk. As used in this application, the term “label”, except as otherwise defined or clear from context, refers to a means by which text and/or graphics material is applied to the disk, whether by silk screening, application of a sheet label, or otherwise.
The invention disclosed in this application permits text and/or graphics material to be applied to the center portion of an optical disk, including the area occupied by the hole in the center of the disk.